W. W. Jacobs

“ She passed within ten fathoms of the quay, and the men cheered and the women held their children up to wave farewell, for she was manned from captain to cabin boy by Tetby men, and bound for the distant southern seas.
Outside the harbour she altered her course somewhat and bent, like a thing of life, to the wind blowing outside. The crew sprang into the rigging and waved their caps, and kissed their grimy hands to receding Tetby. They were answered by rousing cheers from the shore, hoarse and masculine, to drown the lachrymose attempts of the women. ”

“ The crew stood and eyed him expectantly.
“Ned,” said the skipper sharply.
“Sir,” said the old man.
“As soon as we're made fast,” said the other, “I want you to go ashore for me and fetch an undertaker and a policeman. I can't quite make up my mind which we want.”
“Ay, ay, sir,” murmured the old man.
The skipper turned away, and seizing the helm from the mate took his ship in. He was so intent upon this business that he appeared not to notice the movements of Bill and Tommy as they edged nervously towards their bundles, and waited impatiently for the schooner to get alongside the quay. ”

“ The skylight was open; the skipper with a glance at it bent forward and whispered in his ear.
“Wot!” said the mate. He endeavoured to suppress his laughter with hot coffee and bacon, with the result that he had to rise from his seat and stand patiently while the skipper dealt him some hearty thumps on the back.
With the prospect of riches before them the men cheerfully faced the extra work; the cook did the boy's, while Ned and Simpson did Bill's between them. ”

“ Come down and take charge of your ship.”
“Do your duty, Jack,” said the skipper, who was polishing his face with a handkerchief. “They won't touch you. They daren't. They're afraid to.”
“You're egging 'em on,” cried the mate wrathfully. “I won't steer; come and take it yourself.”
He darted behind the wheel as Miss Evans, who was getting impatient, made a thrust at him, and then, springing out, gained the side and rushed up the rigging after his captain. Biddle, who was standing close by, gazed earnestly at them and took the wheel. ”

“ There was bad blood between the captain and mate who comprised the officers and crew of the sailing-barge “Swallow”; and the outset of their voyage from London to Littleport was conducted in glum silence. As far as the Nore they had scarcely spoken, and what little did pass was mainly in the shape of threats and abuse. Evening, chill and overcast, was drawing in; distant craft disappeared somewhere between the waste of waters and the sky, and the side-lights of neighbouring vessels were beginning to shine over the water. ”

“ The skipper nodded, and a wild cheer rose from the crew of the brig as George came on deck in his scanty garments, and from behind the others peered cautiously over the side.
“Where is she?” he demanded.
The skipper pointed to the boat.
“That?” said George, starting. “That? That ain't my wife.”
“Not your wife?” said the skipper, staring. “Whose is she then?”
“How the devil should I know?” said George, throwing discipline to the winds in his agitation. “It ain't my wife.”
“P'raps it's one you've forgotten,” suggested the skipper in a low voice. ”

“ I didn't stay down there to do no restoring, and I don't think you would either.”
“Go down and see whether you can wake him, cook,” said the skipper.
“Not me,” said the cook with a mighty shudder.
Two of the hands went and peeped furtively down through the skylight. The empty cabin looked strangely quiet and drear, and the door of the stateroom stood ajar. There was nothing to satisfy their curiosity, but they came back looking as though they had seen a ghost.
“What's to be done?” said the skipper helplessly.
“Nothing can be done,” said the mate. “He's beyond our aid.” ”

“ The wet body of the sailor lay on a locker, and a pool of water was on the cabin floor.
The mate hastily swabbed up the water, and then lit the fire and put on the kettle; while the skipper stripped the sailor of his clothes, and flinging some blankets in front of the fire placed him upon them.
For a long time they toiled in silence, in the faint hope that life still remained in the apparently dead body.
“Poor devil!” said the skipper at length, and fell to rubbing again.
“I don't believe he's gone,” said the mate, panting with his exertions. “He don't feel like a dead man.” ”

“ The mate relinquished it.
“You dog!” snarled the other, “to try and kill a man when he wasn't looking, and then keep him in his wet clothes in the boat all night. Make the most o' your time. It'll be many a day before you see the sea again.”
The mate groaned in spirit, but made no reply.
“I've wrote everything down with the time it happened,” continued the other in a voice of savage satisfaction; “an' I've locked that handspike up in my locker. It's got blood on it.”
“That's enough about it,” said the mate, turning at last and speaking thickly. “What I've done I must put up with.” ”

“ He took the wheel; the schooner came round before the wind, and the willing crew, letting the sheets go, hauled them in again on the port side.
“And now, my lads,” said the skipper with a benevolent smile, “just clear that mess up off the decks, and you may as well pitch them mops overboard. They'll never be any good again.”
He spoke carelessly, albeit his voice trembled a little, but his heart sank within him as Miss Evans, with a horrible contortion of her pretty face, intended for a wink, waved them back. ”

“ Gannett tenderly.
“I shall think of you every minute,” said the engineer reproachfully.
He sighed gently and gazed in a scandalised fashion at Mrs. Cluffins, who was carrying on a desperate flirtation with one of the apprentices.
“She's very light-hearted,” said his wife, following the direction of his eyes.
“She is,” said Mr. Gannett curtly, as the unconscious Mrs. Cluffins shut her parasol and rapped the apprentice playfully with the handle. “She seems to be on very good terms with Jenkins, laughing and carrying on. I don't suppose she's ever seen him before.” ”

“ Cluffins solemnly, as she came up to them. “Don't you worry, Mr. Gannett; I'll look after her and keep her from moping.”
“You're very kind,” said the engineer slowly.
“We'll have a jolly time,” said Mrs. Cluffins. “I often wish my husband was a seafaring man. A wife does have more freedom, doesn't she?”
“More what?” inquired Mr. Gannett huskily.
“More freedom,” said Mrs. Cluffins gravely. “I always envy sailors' wives. They can do as they like. No husband to look after them for nine or ten months in the year.” ”

“ When you've seen as much law as I have, my lad, you'll know that one of the first principles of English law is, that nobody is bound to commit themselves.”
“Do you mean to say you think it is me?” bellowed Captain Thomsett.
“I mean to say nothing,” said Captain Stubbs, putting his huge hands on the table. “But when a man comes into my cabin and begins to hum an' haw an' hint at things, and then begins to ask my advice about bigamy, I can't help thinking. This is a free country, and there's no law ag'in thinking. Make a clean breast of it, cap'n, an' I'll do what I can for you.” ”

“ The boy came forward slowly, and looking from the men to the skipper, and from the skipper back to the men, began to whimper.
“If you think it's poisoned,” interrupted the mate, “you oughtn't to make the boy eat it. I don't like boys, but you must draw the line somewhere.”
“It's poisoned,” said the skipper, shaking it at Bates, “and they know it. Well, I'll keep it till we get to port, and then I'll have it analysed. And it'll be a sorry day for you, Bates, when I hear it's poisoned. A month's hard labour is what you'll get.” ”

“ The weather was almost tropical, with not an air stirring, and the Arethusa, bearing its dread secret still locked in its state-room, rose and fell upon a sea of glassy smoothness without making any progress worth recording.
“I wish you'd keep that thing in your berth, George,” said the skipper, as they sat at tea the second evening; “it puts me in a passion every time I look at it.”
“I couldn't think of it, cap'n,” replied the mate firmly; “it makes me angry enough as it is. Every time I think of 'em trying to poison that poor dumb creature I sort o' choke. ”

“ Why, a boy your age ought to know there ain't such things nowadays.”
“You told me you was,” said the boy hotly, “else I wouldn't have come.”
“That's just why I told you,” said the skipper. “But I didn't think you'd be such a fool as to believe it. Pirates, indeed! Do we look like pirates?”
“You don't,” said the boy with a sneer; “you look more like—”
“Like wot?” asked the skipper, edging closer to him. “Eh, like wot?”
“I forget the word,” said Ralph, with strong good sense.
“Don't tell any lies now,” said the skipper, flushing, as he heard a chuckle from the mate. “Go on, out with it. ”

“ Raggett,” said Kate cheerily, as he entered the cottage. “Dear, dear, the idea of an old man like you climbing about! It's wonderful.”
“I'm sixty-seven,” said Mr. Raggett viciously, “and I feel as young as ever I did.”
“To be sure,” said Kate soothingly; “and look as young as ever you did. Come in and sit down a bit.”
Mr. Raggett with some trepidation complied, and sitting in a very upright position, wondered how he should begin. “I am just sixty-seven,” he said slowly. “I'm not old and I'm not young, but I'm just old enough to begin to want somebody to look after me a bit.” ”

“ By the time they had got to their moorings it was too late to take the hatches off, and the crew sat gazing longingly at the lights ashore. Their delight when the visitor obtained permission for them to go ashore with him for a little stroll was unbounded, and they set off like schoolboys.
“They couldn't be with a better man,” said the skipper, as the party moved off; “when I think of the good that man's done in under four days it makes me ashamed of myself.”
“You'd better ship 'im as mate,” said George. ”

“ Through the galley and round the masts he went with the avenging mops in mad pursuit, until breathless and exhausted he suddenly sprang on to the side and climbed frantically into the rigging.
“Coward!” said Miss Evans, shaking her weapon at him.
“Come down,” cried Miss Williams. “Come down like a man.”
“It's no good wasting time over him,” said Miss Evans, after another vain appeal to the skipper's manhood. “He's escaped. Get some more stuff on your mops.” ”

“ Fillson got hers in first. Having seen it safe she went up on deck, for a look round.
“George,” said Mrs. Bunnett fiercely, as soon as they were alone.
“Yes, my dear,” said her husband.
“Pack that woman off home,” said Mrs. Bunnett sharply.
“I couldn't do that,” said the skipper firmly. “It's your own fault; you should have said you was coming.”
“Oh, I know you didn't want me to come,” said Mrs. Bunnett, the roses on her bonnet trembling. “The mate can think of a little pleasure for his wife, but I can stay at home and do your mending and keep the house clean. Oh, I know; don't tell me.” ”

“ The mate got up with a sigh, and, meeting the look of horror-stricken commiseration in his captain's eye, returned it with one of impotent rage.
“Use a larger knife, cap'n,” he said savagely. “You'll swallow that little 'un one of these days.”
The skipper, with the weapon in question gripped in his fist, turned round and stared at him in petrified amazement, “If I wasn't the cap'n o' this ship, George,” he said huskily, “an' bound to set a good example to the men, I'd whop you for them words.”
“It's all for your good, Captain Bunnett,” said Mrs. Fillson mincingly. ”

“ For that day the men lived, as Ned put it, on the fat of the land, in addition to the other luxuries. Figgy duff, a luxury hitherto reserved for Sundays, being also served out to them. Bill was regarded as a big-brained benefactor of the human race; joy reigned in the foc'sle, and at night the hatch was taken off and the prisoner regaled with a portion which had been saved for him. He ate it ungratefully, and put churlish and inconvenient questions as to what was to happen at the end of the voyage. ”

“ The skipper shook his head helplessly, and was about to ascribe the mystery to supernatural agencies when the truth in all its naked simplicity flashed upon him and he spoke. “It's the mate,” he said slowly, “the mate and the cook. I see it all now; there's never been anybody here. It was a little job on the mate's part to get the ship. If you want to hear a couple o' rascals sized up, Bill, come on deck.” ”

“ When night came they removed the hatch again, and with a little curiosity waited to hear how their victims were progressing.
“Where's my dinner?” growled Bill hungrily, as he drew himself up on deck.
“Dinner!” said Ned, in surprise; “why, you ain't got none.”
“Wot?” said Bill ferociously.
“You see the skipper only serves out for three now,” said the cook.
“Well, why didn't you save us some?” demanded the other.
“There ain't enough of it, Bill, there ain't indeed,” said Ned. “We have to do more work now, and there ain't enough even for us. You've got biscuit and water, haven't you?” ”

“ What do you think it comes to?”
“'Bout thirty pun',” hazarded the other.
“Thirty fiddlesticks,” retorted Tweedie; “there you are in black and white—sixty-three pounds eighteen shillings and tenpence ha'penny.”
“And is that what Mas'r Edward wants?” inquired Captain Fazackerly, gasping.
“Yes; that's a properly drawn up disbursement sheet,” said Tweedie in satisfied tones. “You see how it simplifies matters. The governor can see at a glance how things stand, while, if you trusted to your memory, you might forget something, or else claim something you didn't have.” ”

“ BROTHER HUTCHINS.
I've got a friend coming down with us this trip, George,” said the master of the Wave, as they sat on deck after tea watching the river. “One of our new members, Brother Hutchins.”
“From the Mission, I s'pose?” said the mate coldly.
“From the Mission,” confirmed the skipper. “You'll like him, George; he's been one o' the greatest rascals that ever breathed.”
“Well, I don't know what you mean,” said the mate, looking up indignantly.
“He's 'ad a most interestin' life,” said the skipper; “he's been in half the jails of England. To hear 'im talk is as good as reading a book. ”

“ He listened in vain that night, for the prisoner made no sign, but at six o'clock in the morning, when the Fearless, coming within sight of the Nore, began to dance like a cork upon the waters, the mate reported hollow groans from the cabin.
“Let him groan,” said the skipper briefly, “as holler as he likes.”
“Well, I'll just go down and see how he is,” said the mate.
“You stay where you are,” said the skipper sharply.
“Well, but you ain't going to starve the man?”
“Nothing to do with me,” said the skipper ferociously; “if a man likes to come down and stay in my cabin, that's his business. ”

“ I can go and sleep in my berth.”
“You'll do what I wish, my lad,” said the skipper.
“I'm the mate,” said the other darkly.
“And I'm the master,” said the other; “if the master of a ship can stay down the foc'sle, I'm sure a tuppeny-ha'penny mate can.”
“The men don't like it,” objected the mate.
“Damn the men,” said the skipper politely, “and as to starving the chap, there's a water-bottle full o' water in my state-room, to say nothing of a jug, and a bag o' biscuits under the table.” ”